Ukraine live: explosions ring out in kyiv, Moscow targeted by 600 drones

Romania: drone shot down by Spanish fighter plane

A drone, which had entered Romanian airspace near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova, was shot down by a Spanish combat plane on a mission in this NATO country, the Romanian Defense Minister said.

The interception of this drone arriving from Moldova was carried out by an F18 at 5:01 a.m. local time (2:01 a.m. GMT), the same source said in a press release.

The ministry reported possible falling debris in an uninhabited area in the Galati region, near the Ukrainian border.

The country of 19 million inhabitants has become one of the states most exposed to the consequences of the war in Ukraine among the members of the Atlantic Alliance.

Kim, Putin praise relationship amid possible new North Korean deployment against Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was “proud” of his relationship with Russia in a letter sent to President Vladimir Putin, Pyongyang’s official agency reported, at a time when Ukraine accused him of preparing a new deployment of soldiers to support Moscow.

North Korea has already engaged directly with Russia in its war against Ukraine, sending troops and weapons.

“I am always proud to be able to envisage an even better future in bilateral relations by leading, with you, the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, editor’s note)-Russia ties which have perpetuated the history of our common struggle,” enthused Kim Jong Un, according to a report from the state agency KCNA.

The North Korean leader also reaffirmed his support for Moscow in its war against Ukraine, saying he was confident that his ally would prevail under the “wise leadership” of Vladimir Putin.

Moscow targeted by 600 drones during the night, three injured

Moscow was targeted by 600 drones during the night, an attack of rare magnitude which left at least three injured, said the mayor of the Russian capital Sergei Sobyanin.

Of these 600 drones identified as heading towards the city, 201 were shot down in the region directly surrounding the capital, the official said on the Russian Max messaging service while Ukraine intensified its long-range attacks on Russian territory, targeting in particular energy or e-commerce infrastructure.

Since the launch of the offensive in February 2022, the capital, several hundred kilometers from the front, has been hit more rarely than the border regions of Ukraine. But it has found itself increasingly targeted in recent months as the kyiv army intensifies its long-range attacks against Russian territory.

Explosions heard in kyiv after ballistic missile alert

Explosions rang out in kyiv overnight after a ballistic missile alert was triggered in the Ukrainian capital, an AFP journalist noted.

“kyiv is being attacked with ballistic missiles. Stay safe!” Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram shortly before 3 a.m. local time (000 GMT).

The capital’s military administration reported a fire in a non-residential building in the Obolonsky district.

The authorities of Kryvyï Rig, an industrial town in central Ukraine where President Volodymyr Zelensky grew up, also indicated that a missile and drone attack had targeted two industrial companies there.

Firefighters respond to the site of a book market hit by a Russian missile strike, in kyiv, Ukraine, August 16, 2026. Credit: Gleb Garanich, Reuters

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